As engineers and scientists, when looking for a position in industry it is easy to gravitate towards roles in research and development, as that is what we know best. However, there are many roles in industry that are suitable for engineers and scientists. In order to increase awareness of these many opportunities, the ORS Industry Engagement Committee is sponsoring this series on Working in Industry/Private Sector.
In collaboration with Damon Shackelford, Tennille Folk, Daniel Weinberger, Marc Mathieu and Ryan Cooling from Stryker
In this first article in the series we have asked members of the talent acquisition team at Stryker to provide feedback on different opportunities that could be suitable for engineers and scientists.
What positions in industry can be suitable for an engineer/scientist?
- Research & Development (R&D) is quite broad and has a lot of facets to it. However, overall, these roles can be more heavily research focused, design focused, or production focused.
- Medical and scientific affairs serves as a communication channel between the clinical community and a company’s R&D and sales and marketing teams.
- Product engineering and sustaining which supports design changes to released products.
- Compliance engineering requires an understanding of standards and how to properly apply them in order to support projects from R&D and Sustaining.
- Regulatory requires an understanding of regulations and how they affect product design, in order to obtain approvals for use of new & existing products.
- Operations supports an existing production line or may need to work with a team to create a new one from scratch.
- Sourcing works with suppliers & vendors to identify correct vendors who can manufacture and produce parts to specifications.
- Project Engineers are technical project managers who lead projects or subsystems.
- Field or Application Engineers support customers as well as sales and marketing.
- Quality Engineers lead efforts to ensure the quality of a company’s products and processes.
What are some key pieces of advice when entering the job market?
- Have practical engineering or science experience and interest, which can be as simple as tinkering with stuff at home, or as extensive as having access to a 3D printer or an Arduino for programming. If you don’t practice engineering/science at home you likely won’t showcase having the passion needed to succeed in the engineering/science profession. Hiring Managers often want to know what drove you to be an engineer/scientist. Are you an engineer/scientist because that is what you studied in school and the pay is good? Or are you an engineer/scientist because you love it!
- Really read the job description and make sure you know the requirements. Too many times there are applicants that are entry level applying for a role that states “MUST HAVE 5-8 YEARS EXP”. It can signify you don’t have attention to detail.
- Be humble and Be hungry. You may have learned a lot in college, but as a new hire this is just the start of learning. You will learn a lot in your journey!
- Don’t be afraid to fail… but when you fail learn from it.
- It’s not just what you do, it’s how you do it. Be a good team member. Help others out.
How do I avoid the perception that I am overqualified for the type of jobs that provide an entry to industry?
- Be clear and confident in your near term interests. You can be very deliberate in your resume summary by defining what you are looking to achieve in your next career move. If a hiring manager understands why you have applied to the role, even if it is perceived that you are overqualified, they are more likely to consider you.
- Make sure you emphasize that the role is not a stepping stone. Hiring managers are generally looking for someone to fill a specific role for longer than a year.
*Stryker is NOT affiliated with this article. Any comments and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the individual(s) and do not constitute official statements or positions on behalf of Stryker.
As a continuation of our series on career path alternatives, we have asked Marta Villarraga to provide insights on her career choices and experience working in industry.
What is your title and what division of Orthopaedics do you work in (Trauma, Joint Replacement, Spine…)?
I am a Principal in the Biomedical Engineering practice at Exponent, Inc. which is a multidisciplinary engineering and scientific consulting firm that brings together more than 90 different disciplines to solve engineering, science, regulatory, and business issues facing our clients. As part of my work I conduct technical consulting in the areas of spine, joint replacement materials, women’s health products, and regenerated tissue.
Where do you fit into the organization?
I am one of five principals in our biomedical engineering group that is composed of 37 talented and energetic engineers and scientists, many of whom have PhDs in biomedical engineering or a related discipline. I currently have six colleagues reporting through me into our organization and I advise them on technical and business matters to support their career growth and progression within our organization. I also have an advisory role with other principals to our POWER-MEGA group, which addresses inclusivity through the growth and engagement of women and minorities within our organization.
Could you describe your main job responsibilities?
As a principal in the group I have responsibilities for carrying out technical work on behalf of our clients, bringing in the work for our team to execute, recruiting and training new talent, and identifying new business and professional development opportunities for myself and my team.
Conducting the technical work that we do to support our clients’ questions typically involves assembling a team of colleagues that have complementary expertise to contribute to solving the technical issues that we are addressing. We then conduct the technical work and provide a deliverable to the client. Our work needs to be appropriately supported by science, which means that sometimes the outcome is not what the client expected.
Can you describe your career ladder?
I earned a BSE in Biomedical Engineering at Tulane University in 1990. I stayed in graduate school and got a PhD in Biomedical Engineering also at Tulane University. I earned my PhD in 1996 and my research involved evaluating metal release from spine implants using an animal and computational model. Subsequently, I spent a year and a half as a postdoc and then transitioned to a Visiting Assistant Professor position also in Biomedical Engineering at Tulane University for another year and a half. I started working at Exponent in 1999 at an entry level position (Senior Engineer). I was promoted to Manager in 2003, Senior Manager in 2004 and then Principal in 2006.
Can you describe why you decided to move from academia to industry?
I was looking for a faster paced environment and one in which the work that I did had more immediate impact. I also wanted to work in more of a team environment. I found that Exponent would provide all of these aspects, so I decided to give it a try. At that time, I also had the option of choosing from a few academic opportunities as I was transitioning out of Tulane. I was ready for a change.
What were the biggest challenges you faced in transitioning from academia to industry?
As I transitioned into the technical consulting environment, I encountered a few noticeable challenges. One was keeping track of my time. In academia I was never required to do that, but in consulting it is essential as we need to keep track of what projects we spend our time on so that clients can be billed for our time. Another challenge was getting used to the internal review processes of our work product. It was eye opening how important it was to do a full technical and editorial review of our work product and I quickly learned how every word mattered. Another challenge was understanding and accepting when enough technical work has been done to resolve a technical issue, while still being sufficiently robust and properly supported in a scientific manner. Finally, prioritizing my time was also a challenge. There are competing deadlines and all the work needs to be done, so time management became crucial in my ability to manage the workload.
What do you like most about your current position?
I enjoy the people I work with and the variety of work that I do. Everyone we hire has the potential to move up within our company so we look to hire folks who not only have excellent technical background but also great communication and interpersonal skills. These are all the colleagues I get to interact with within my group and in other groups within the firm. The type of work that we do tends to be work that is critical and time sensitive for our clients and we have the ability to use our technical skills to help resolve and explain complex technical issues to various stakeholders. During my time at Exponent, I have had the opportunity to see our group grow from just two people to the size it is now and it has been a wonderful experience to be part of this effort.
Do you have a tip for potential job seekers to help them in securing an interview/job?
I think that in addition to having a solid technical background, good communication is essential. Prior to bringing folks for interviews, we screen them via phone and video to make sure they can express themselves appropriately. As part of our interviews we also consider the manner in which a candidate delivers a technical presentation to an audience of peers. Additionally, we want to also get an understanding of how folks collaborate in teams and show initiative and commitment to their projects. I would advise folks to cast a wide net and be realistic of the environment you think you would flourish the most in and that you would be able to contribute to the best of your abilities.
As a continuation of our series on career path alternatives, we have asked Lara Silverman to provide insights on her career choices and experience working in industry.
What is your title and what division of Orthopaedics do you work in (Trauma, Joint Replacement, Spine…)?
I am the Senior Director of Research and Development at Discgenics, which is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing regenerative cell therapies for spine disorders. Our lead candidate is IDCT, which is an allogeneic cell therapy for mild to moderate, symptomatic lumbar disc degeneration.
Where do you fit into the organization?
I oversee the Research and Development efforts of the company, meaning I am involved with process and analytical method development and qualification, clinical trials, regulatory affairs and new product development. Being in a small company means I get to be involved in many aspects of the business, including engineering, manufacturing, quality, operations and fund-raising. It can be hectic at times, but it’s really fun!
Could you describe your main job responsibilities?
My main responsibility is to ensure the direction of our scientific research is aligned with the overall business goals. I oversee scientific teams who execute the work that will enable the future commercial manufacturing of our lead candidate product for low back pain. I am also responsible for presenting our research at clinical and scientific conferences as well as to investors and other entities, as well as publishing papers in peer-reviewed journals.
Can you describe your career ladder?
I got a BSE in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Materials Science Engineering from Princeton University. After graduation, I spent a year at a marketing consulting company working on pharmaceutical products before going back to graduate school at University of Pennsylvania in Bioengineering with Dr Robert Mauck. My PhD research involved tissue engineering the knee meniscus using novel polymer constructs and cells. I started working for my current company as a consultant while finishing my PhD, and joined full time immediately after graduation. I have been at my current company for 7 years, having transitioned from Engineer, to Manager, and now Senior Director.
Can you describe why you decided to move from academia to industry?
I have always been interested in start-ups and being able to directly help patients through engineering. Having grown up in the Bay Area with parents who both owned their own companies, I saw how fun (and challenging) building a business can be. Working in cell therapy in orthopedics, which is a fairly young field, was an especially exciting opportunity.
What were the biggest challenges you faced in transitioning from academia to industry?
A unique challenge is the need to communicate technical content to non-technical individuals, may they be coworkers, investors or regulators/payors. While we are used to hiccups in research that require repeating the study or finding an unexpected result, it can be hard for others to understand or anticipate such things, and part of my job is to communicate when these problems arise and how to resolve them.
Another challenge is to prioritize what research needs to occur, which sometimes means doing less ‘interesting’ work but rather doing the work that meets the business objectives. Also, in my experience business timelines are shorter than research timelines, and identifying when ‘enough’ research has occurred to move on to the next step can be tricky but is essential for success.
What do you like most about your current position?
It is very exciting to work in such a fast-paced, small company. I had the opportunity to take the product from its initial concept stage, through animal testing and now into the clinic. We have the potential to help millions of patients who are suffering from low back pain and to make an impact on their lives. It is humbling to observe the dosing procedure in the clinical trial and see that the patients are mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters who just want to feel well again; Our science has the power to help them.
Do you have a tip for potential job seekers to help them in securing an interview/job?
In my experience, doing research in industry requires more teamwork and collaboration than most (certainly not all!) academic projects. Providing examples of doing work with others will make you rise above another candidate who mostly did research alone. For us, it is important to be a good communicator, have a long-term vision of your future and desire to stay with the company for an extended period of time, and believe in the vision of helping millions of patients through our research.
As a continuation of our series on career path alternatives, we have asked Jeffrey Bischoff, PhD to provide insights on his career choices and experience working in industry.
What is your title and what division of Orthopaedics do you work in (Trauma, Joint Replacement, Spine…)?
I am Director of Biomechanics Research, within the corporate research division of Zimmer Biomet. As a corporate function, we support all divisions, though the bulk of our efforts is in joint replacement.
Where do you fit into the organization?
Research is a group that rolls up under our Chief Technology Officer. The lead in our research group is our Vice President, and I report to him. Within research, there are several other technical groups outside of biomechanics, based on either technical focus or geography.
Could you describe your main job responsibilities?
My group is charged with two main responsibilities. One responsibility is to provide advanced biomechanical knowledge or direct testing/analysis support to product development efforts or initiatives within other units (such as manufacturing, quality, and regulatory) of the company. A second key responsibility is to identify, incubate, and/or develop new tools, partnerships, methods, or other ‘stuff’ that has a biomechanical bent to it and which has the potential to positively impact patient care through our products, services, education, or other mechanisms.
Can you describe your career ladder?
I was on an academic path up through a junior faculty position at the University of South Carolina. At USC, I assisted to put together a new biomedical engineering degree program for the university and developed a research group focused primarily on soft tissue biomechanics. I joined Zimmer in 2006, primarily as a means to get more involved with applied research. I joined the company as a simulation engineer, which at the time largely entailed performing finite element analysis in support of product development or research efforts. Since then, I have had various positions in biomechanics research, bouncing between technical roles and managerial roles.
Can you describe why you decided to move from academia to industry?
The research program that I was developing academically was technically interesting, and it was exciting to embark on research independence. I had great support at USC, from mentors within and outside of the department. However, the research trajectory that I had been progressing along, either intentionally or accidentally, was largely in basic biomechanics research – technically challenging, but not too directly related to clinical practice. And I definitely was feeling the internal pull to re-orient my work to something more translational. This opened my eyes to start looking at industry positions. At the same time, as is often the case, realities of life had my wife and I looking to return closer to our roots in the Midwest. The position at Zimmer hit on both of these fronts, so we took the leap.
What were the biggest challenges you faced in transitioning from academia to industry?
The biggest challenge was an internal one – letting go of the academic pathway which I had been following so long, and fully accepting that industrial research could offer the intellectual challenges that I had found in academia (while also providing the more direct connectivity to health care). In practice, this internal change took probably a year or two – it was about that long before I took all the half-written proposals and papers from academia that I kept in my back pocket ‘just in case’, and dumped them in the trash can!
What do you like most about your current position?
The biggest upside for me is the ability to tap into my technical knowledge and skillset to very clearly contribute to patient care. There are a number of products in the field right now that benefitted from my intellectual energy and hard work; or as I have moved more into management, from the support of my team. In all these cases, we share a portion of the responsibility for developing design concepts; for improving on good ideas and killing off bad ones; for doing the technical work to optimize and verify the design; and in some cases also to contribute in meaningful ways to the final commercialization. Once commercialized, we have the opportunity to interact with surgeons who are using the devices, and hear from them the impact they are having on patient care. In some cases, we even receive this feedback directly from patients. This is why we do what we do, and it is great to be able to walk the complete path.
Do you have a tip for potential job seekers to help them in securing an interview/job?
The best tip I have is to try to establish personal connections – through networking at ORS meetings, for example, or other venues where you can be more than just a name on paper. The applicant pool seems to be growing always, and filtering based on what is seen on paper is imperfect. Making a personal connection so that you have an internal advocate can be a great benefit – it of course will not ensure you get a position, but it will help to ensure that you get an intentional review.
As a continuation of our series on career path alternatives, we have asked Chris Roche to provide insights on his career choices and experience working in industry.
What is your title and what division of Orthopaedics do you work in (Trauma, Joint Replacement, Spine…)?
I am the senior director of engineering for the extremities division at Exactech which encompasses product development for shoulder, trauma, and foot & ankle orthopedic applications. Our largest market segment is shoulder arthroplasty, which is where I have devoted most of my time and efforts since 2003, when I began my career in orthopedics at Exactech.
Where do you fit into the organization?
I am the engineering lead of Exactech’s extremities business unit.
Could you describe your main job responsibilities?
I establish the research and product development strategy for the aforementioned orthopedic applications, manage the research and engineering budget for the extremities team, and supervise a team of 22 engineering professionals who design and develop medical devices. I’m very proud of this team, which has a 15+ year track record of nimbly creating novel and successful medical devices, having an average time to market for each product = 30 months, which solve unmet clinical needs for orthopedic surgeons and their patients.
Can you describe your career ladder?
After graduating from Mercer University with my bachelors in biomedical engineering and the University of Kentucky with my masters in biomechanical engineering, I was hired by Exactech as a product design engineer in 2003 to develop a new shoulder arthroplasty system. Since that time I have worked as product development engineer & project manager on numerous orthopedic device products, those products and a few others have been released in over 30 countries and implanted in >125,000 patients. I have been very fortunate that this opportunity has permitted me to stay and grow at the same location, working as an engineer in the same field while building my expertise in shoulder arthroplasty and the orthopedic extremities business. As I progressed in my engineering career, I also became a manager and attended the University of Florida during the weekends from 2009 to 2011 to earn my MBA, this business experience has served to better inform my product development decisions.
Can you describe why you decided to move from academia to industry?
While at the University of Kentucky, I worked with Shriners hospital in Lexington performing research on the efficacy of different treatment techniques for children with clubfoot. That experience demonstrated the great improvements in quality of life that orthopedic surgeons can provide to their patients, but also demonstrated to me that modern treatment techniques were not perfect and many of the less common pathologies were underserved from a research and development standpoint. I wanted to work in industry doing new product development because I believed I could have a more direct and significant impact on orthopedic treatments than if I remained in academia doing research. I was provided the opportunity to work in shoulder arthroplasty, which at the time was considered a niche market relative to hip, knee, and spine. But that year, 2003, coincided with the US launch of the reverse shoulder, and since that time the shoulder arthroplasty market has become the fastest growing and most dynamic market segment in all of orthopedics. I’ve been fortunate to be able to contribute and influence the direction of that expanding market.
What were the biggest challenges you faced in transitioning from academia to industry?
The scope of a given project in industry is generally more broad and multidisciplinary than the research projects that I have worked on in academia. As I transitioned from academia to industry, I had to learn how to become a project manager: shifting from not just managing my own tasks but learning how to delegate and manage the tasks of others, most of whom are not engineers. I wasn’t taught how to do that in school. Another challenge was to learn and adopt the necessary medical device regulations, which often vary over time and for different countries/markets.
What do you like most about your current position?
I strongly believe that you should publish the results of your research and the outcomes of your developed products. No product or technique is perfect but the pace at which these things are improved is most accelerated by the honest and transparent communication of their results. What I like most about my current position is that I get to work closely with many amazing orthopedic surgeons who perform great research and provide feedback for new product development; since 2011, we’ve collaborated to organize an annual conference focusing on shoulder arthroplasty outcomes and research, allowing us to communicate our results to a larger worldwide group each year.
Do you have a tip for potential job seekers to help them in securing an interview/job?
Your first job will be the hardest that you get; understand the hiring manager is looking for a candidate with the highest potential but lowest risk. In the interview, be prepared to provide examples that you can complete the necessary work (i.e. internships, design projects, etc) and that you can be a team player to help alleviate concerns of risk. Also, don’t forget to research the company that you are interviewing with prior and be sure the opportunity aligns with your career goals. If the opportunity aligns, don’t forget to tell the company that you really want the job; passion really goes a long way. Finally, if you have the luxury of choosing from multiple options, identify the opportunity with the most unsolved challenges. My career has been enriched because shoulder arthroplasty has not yet experienced a convergence of solutions – lots of questions remain and the need for clinical improvement creates space for innovation…and that is rewarding on multiple levels.
As a continuation of our series on career path alternatives, we have asked Danese Joiner-Fox PhD to provide insights on her career choices and experience working in industry.
What is your title and what division of Orthopaedics do you work in (Trauma, Joint Replacement, Spine…)?
I am a Staff Regulatory Affairs Specialist in the Joint Replacement Division.
Where do you fit into the organization?
My position is within Regulatory Affairs, which is a subset of Science and Technology. Science and Technology is within the Research and Development Department. I am on a technical track within the company, which offers individuals the opportunity to become subject matter experts in their chosen discipline while mentoring others.
Could you describe your main job responsibilities?
I provide domestic and international regulatory support for new product development and advanced technology, the research arm of Research & Development. Specifically, I develop regulatory strategies, review product labeling, provide input on standards and guidance documents, and support corporate regulatory projects.
Can you describe your career ladder?
My career ladder has been diverse and full of learning opportunities. It includes many years of orthopedic research focused on cell and tissue level response to mechanical loading as well as progression of ligament injury induced osteoarthritis in genetic mouse models to identify therapeutic targets. The research portion of my career was followed by premarket and post-market orthopedic medical device review as well as chemistry, manufacturing and controls review at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the Center for Devices and Radiological Health and Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. At the FDA I held the position of Lead Reviewer and Biocompatibility Focal Point within the Joint Fixation Device Branch at the Division of Orthopedic Devices. I led the reviews of original PMAs, De Novos, 510(k)s, Q-Submissions, PMA and IDE Supplements, Annual Reports, and Compassionate Use applications focused on total ankle systems, anatomic and reverse shoulder systems, fracture fixation devices and knee and hip prostheses. As the Biocompatibility Focal Point at US FDA, I provided consultation for premarket and post-market applications focused on ISO 10993 biocompatibility tests and risk assessment, review of color additives, and pyrogenicity testing and alternatives to batch testing plans.
Can you describe why you decided to move from academia to industry?
I decided to make the move from academia to industry because I saw the potential for me to expand my knowledge and skill sets beyond research. There are numerous career paths for engineers and scientists within industry such as those within research and development, quality assurance and compliance, regulatory affairs, medical writing, project management, and sales/ field support. I am still able to engage in research and interact with scientists, and I have been able to pair my research experience with knowledge of medical device regulation, product development and business strategy. I saw the move to industry as providing me with more opportunity for growth and career options, as well as greater geographical location flexibility.
What were the biggest challenges you faced in transitioning from academia to industry?
I consider these more differences than challenges because they work positively for me in many ways. Nevertheless, these differences did require some adjustment. In industry the deadlines are more stringent and you work with a team on most of your projects. Working on a team requires a lot of organization and oversight, and others are constantly depending on you. You may find yourself meeting early in the morning or late at night to accommodate team members across the world. In industry I found that there are a lot more procedures and processes, which can also take some getting used to.
Do you have a tip for potential job seekers to help them in securing an interview/job?
Keep an open mind during your job search, talk to lots of people inside and outside of your field about their careers, have a basic understanding of the business and jobs you are interested in and an understanding of how you could learn, grow, and advance within the role and the company, and be creative in thinking about how your skills can translate to the job. In addition, be comfortable selling yourself, specify individual contributions, reach out to contacts within institutions of interest, and try not to get discouraged despite potential setbacks.
*Stryker is NOT affiliated with this article. Any comments and opinions expressed herein are solely those of Danese Joiner-Fox and do not constitute official statements or positions on behalf of Stryker.
As a continuation of our series on career path alternatives, we have asked Brian Kincaid to provide insights on his career choices and experience working in industry.
What is your title and what division of Orthopaedics do you work in (Trauma, Joint Replacement, Spine…)?
Associate Director, Regulatory Affairs (RA). DePuy Synthes Joint Reconstruction.
Where do you fit into the organization?
One of two RA leads at the Warsaw Site reporting to a Director who reports to the VP of RA. I lead a team of 6 RA Specialists in Warsaw and two based in our Cork, Ireland facility.
Could you describe your main job responsibilities?
We are fond of the expression “we have our hands in everybody’s business” because RA touches just about every aspect of the company’s activities. We support all RA aspects of the Joint Reconstruction portfolio (New Product Development, Life Cycle Management, Change Management) in both the US and EU markets. We also serve as the central contact for Rest of World registration activities by in-country RA Specialists. We maintain the product registrations, Design Dossiers/Technical Files for all products, author and manage regulatory submissions to FDA, TUV, BSI as well as advise on Regulatory matters for Post Market & Clinical surveillance, Quality & Supplier Quality and M&A activities.
Can you describe your career ladder?
I have a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering with emphasis on Biomechanical Testing. I took a job as a Field Engineer at a start-up (not orthopedic) after being rejected from all major orthopedic companies in 1997. I was later told most had hiring freezes during this time period due to an industry downturn and recession. I never gave up and reapplied to the big 5 every year until 2001 when I was (finally) hired as an entry level Research & Test Engineer in the Biomechanics Laboratory at Zimmer. 5 years later I became the Manager of the lab and 5 years after that transitioned into a Lead R&D role within the Extremities business unit. Without a PhD, the chances of ascending into an Executive Management role within the R&D Engineering structure were slim, so I began to explore other career options to achieve my goal. I had some R&D colleagues who had transitioned to RA and they encouraged me to pursue it. After some thought, and an opportunity that came my way, I moved to Biomet in 2013 as a RA Project Manager. After Biomet merged with Zimmer, I moved into a Management role, leading the newly formed Foot & Ankle RA team. In 2018 I was recruited to my current Associate Director role at DePuy Synthes.
What were the biggest challenges you faced in transitioning to industry as a young engineer?
“Lack of experience” – Although I co-op’d as an undergrad and was a TA and lab instructor during graduate school, I had no significant medical device experience coming out of school.
Lack of networking, job leads. – My school was not heavily engaged in the Medical Device industry and they didn’t have a Biomed program until years after I left so I majored in Mechanical Engineering. This is not a typical path that students would follow today for careers in Medical Devices. Only one professor was dabbling with Medical Device research, so I had few prospects/leads coming out of school. While most of my classmates walked right into industry jobs or PhD programs because of a long list of alumni in those positions, I was literally all alone in my job search. I began attending industry conferences and trade shows on my own dime after a few years of constant rejection via job boards and that is where I began to meet people in the industry. My fortunes soon changed after that.
Do you have a tip for potential job seekers to help them in securing an interview/job?
- Make sure your resume is not “cluttered” and clearly shows your value in terms of accomplishments and/or intellectual property, products you had a hand in, not just what you “did”. Know your audience and tailor your resume to each job you apply to.
- Network, Network, Network – never pass up a chance to network, start early in your career and don’t wait until your graduating semester.
- Have your “elevator pitch” honed and ready at all times. What do you want (be specific)? What makes you unique? What value do you bring to my company and why are your better than the other 5 resumes I have on my desk? Avoid cliches’ such as “I’m a hard worker”, “I can learn on the job”, etc….
*DePuy Synthes is NOT affiliated with this article. Any comments and opinions expressed herein are solely those of Brian Kincaid and do not constitute official statements or positions on behalf of DePuy Synthes.
As a continuation of our series on career path alternatives, we have asked Yifei Dai, PhD to provide insights on her career choices and experience working in industry.
What is your title and what division of Orthopaedics do you work in (Trauma, Joint Replacement, Spine…)?
I am a Scientific Evidence Program Manager at Exactech in the Joint Replacement Division.
Where do you fit into the organization?
I have a combination of strategic and technical roles within the organization, including extensive collaboration with marketing, development engineering, clinical research, and external consultants/investigators.
Could you describe your main job responsibilities?
I lead the strategic planning and implementation of clinical and pre-clinical research programs that demonstrate scientific evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of our products. The end deliverables are internal and external communications, such as publications, presentations, marketing collaterals, etc. My daily responsibilities include close collaboration with each business unit to develop scientific evidence and communication strategies, managing the execution of the research programs, and providing technical consultancy on research studies.
Can you describe your career ladder?
Although always staying within orthopedics, I have worked in multiple areas including spine, hip, knee, and advanced surgical technologies. In addition, I enjoy expanding my work scope to multiple disciplines, such as finite element analysis, analysis of joint morphology, animal experiments, benchtop testing, joint kinematics, big data analysis, and clinical studies. I found each area and discipline fascinating and was always grateful for the opportunities. Constant learning and expansion of work scope help me keep an active research mind, and the cross-functional and multi-disciplinary experience helps immensely in strategic thinking and effective research communications with people of various backgrounds.
What were the biggest challenges you faced in transitioning to industry as a young engineer?
My own experience, and as seen from many PhDs, was that moving from academia setting to industry requires adaptation in two areas: 1) Transiting from an academic thinking style to an appreciation of real-world design, manufacturing, and clinical considerations. 2) Development of soft-skills, especially the skill of simply communicating your ideas and results. Fresh from academia we are accustomed to presenting research in professional meetings with experts from our specific field. However, in the industry setting, we need to strive for communication skills to enable conveying complex ideas and results to audiences of varying different backgrounds in a precise and efficient manner. With that skill developed, you actually will find the conversation surprisingly productive and enjoyable.
Do you have a tip for potential job seekers to help them in securing an interview/job?
Demonstrating a good record on academic performance or successful project work are important to the interviewer as they may use it to assess your capability of managing tasks with the absence of industry work experience. Job seeking should start earlier than when graduation is in sight. An internship benefits a lot for preparing both your resume and your working knowledge and skills for industry. Networking is always important, but really grasp your opportunity when attending conferences and workshops, or any occasions for a potential face-to-face conversation.
*Exactech is NOT affiliated with this article. Any comments and opinions expressed herein are solely those of Yifei Dai and do not constitute official statements or positions on behalf of Exactech.
As a continuation of our series on career path alternatives, we have asked Sally LiArno PhD to provide insights on her career choices and experience working in industry.
What is your title and what division of Orthopaedics do you work in (Trauma, Joint Replacement, Spine…)?
I am a Senior Staff Engineer at Stryker in the Joint Replacement Division. I work in Advanced Technology. It is the research arm of Research & Development (R&D). In research, we explore and develop new platform technologies (i.e. additive manufacturing) as well as evaluate new products or processes from our development team.
Where do you fit into the organization?
I am fortunate to work for a company that has two development tracks: 1) a technical track, which offers individuals the opportunity to become subject matter experts in their chosen discipline while mentoring others and 2) a managerial track, which affords individuals the opportunity to build a team and cultivate the talent in others. You can switch between both at different times in your career but you can also stay in one if you know it truly suits you best. As a senior staff engineer I hold more of a leadership role in the technical track.
Could you describe your main job responsibilities?
I lead teams to execute research in two main areas: 1) testing to evaluate our technology at all stages of the development process as well as 2) basic/translational science.
Can you describe your career ladder?
It has had some zigs and zags. It has and still does involve a lot of learning and trying new things. It is important not to get stagnant so I am always trying to push myself (ie taking on a new project, learning something new…).
Can you describe why you decided to move from academia to industry?
It was a tough choice. It boiled down to a great opportunity to work as a post-doc at U Penn or to work at Stryker. In the end I felt that the position at Stryker was a great opportunity to work for a company with an excellent reputation and that I felt really suited my personality. It was also a great opportunity to try something outside of my comfort zone of academia. I haven’t regretted it since.
What were the biggest challenges you faced in transitioning from academia to industry?
My biggest challenge was driving! I missed being able to read and multi-task taking the subway to work in the city every day. I did eventually discover audiobooks and podcasts while driving though.
I didn’t really encounter challenges with working in industry. I work for an excellent company with intelligent, fun and hardworking co-workers. As opposed to the relaxed environment of academia, industry is a bit more structured. However, I have always been a focused individual who set deadlines for my projects etc. The switch to industry has really suited my personality and I have excelled here.
Do you have a tip for potential job seekers to help them in securing an interview/job?
Network! For the past few jobs I have held, my network helped me obtain the interview opportunity. I earned the position but they helped get my CV on the desk of the hiring manager.
*Stryker is NOT affiliated with this article. Any comments and opinions expressed herein are solely those of Sally LiArno and do not constitute official statements or positions on behalf of Stryker.
